Three Nigerians get 5 years’ jail each for defrauding female teacher, to spend more time in prison if they can’t pay additional fine
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Three Nigerians have been sentenced to five years each in prison in India for scamming a female teacher of Rs 6.3 lakh through a fake parcel delivery online.
Nelson Chigaogejimu, Francis Emeka, and Udala Chukwudi, defrauded the Indian school teacher on the pretense of delivering a parcel gift to her that required customs clearance, according to reporting by The Times of India.
Chief Judicial Magistrate Richa Verma last Saturday handed down the sentence which includes each convict being fined Rs 75,000 or an extra 15 days of imprisonment if the fine is not paid.
The case was filed by Ruchi Singh, a resident of Aashanagar and a teacher with the Basic Education department.
Prosecuting officer Anil Kumar confirmed the court’s verdict, as reported by The Times of India that “On May 30, 2020, she [the victim] lodged an FIR, claiming she had received a message on May 12, 2020, from an international number claiming to be from London.
“The sender introduced himself as ‘Deepak Lee’ and also provided an email ID.
“Shortly after, the accused called her and claimed to have found her contact through a matrimonial site. They began chatting over WhatsApp, and he told her that he had sent a parcel.”
The report noted that a tracking link and number were provided, initially showing the parcel at a United Kingdom airport before appearing in Delhi, with a claim that it was being held due to unpaid customs fees.
“A woman later called Singh, posing as a customs officer, and convinced her to transfer Rs 6,31,548 into multiple bank accounts, claiming it was for customs clearance.
“When the parcel never arrived, Singh filed a complaint at the Kotwali police station, following the directive of the Superintendent of Police.”
The three Nigerians were identified as the perpetrators and were charged to court by the police under Sections related to “cheating, forgery, the Information Technology Act, and the Foreigners Act of 1960.”
Aashanagar Superintendent of Police Neeraj Jadaun said: “They were arrested in Delhi on October 17, 2020, and have remained in custody since then.”
The court found them guilty of forging documents and using them to defraud the victim under the pretext of an international parcel delivery.
The convictions follow a series of reports of the arrests of Nigerians in India.
Last week, four other Nigerians, two men and two women, were reported to be facing possible jail terms and deportation after their arrest in separate operations across the country for offences ranging from cyber fraud to drug trafficking.
Pepe Morepeyi, Gabriel Onyeka, Bamba Fanta, and Abigail Adonis were nabbed by various law enforcement agencies in different parts of India.
Read also:
Nigerians and Ghanaians on trial in India for allegedly scamming 350 people of $94,000
